The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be embodiments of the invention.
Many in healthcare, sports, and fitness and movement disciplines teach core strengthening as an integral part of treatment and training regimens. Many of these therapists, coaches, teachers, and trainers (let us refer to these groups as therapists) emphasize core training in order to both protect against back pain as well as treat back pain. There are a large number of exercises, strategies, programs, and approaches to strengthening the core muscles. However, there are very limited tools used by such therapists to help clients/patients/athletes/students (let us refer to these as clients) to develop the habit of using their core before and during movements to support the lumbosacral junction.
Let us define a Qualifying Movement or QM as a movement for which support from the contraction of the core muscles may be beneficial to support and protect the lumbosacral junction and the lumbar spine. Furthermore, let us define QM Identification or QM ID as the method, process, principles, approach and/or concepts utilized to evaluate the available data to make a determination whether or not a user utilizing the inventive system has executed a Qualifying Movement.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/132,808 includes the description of an inventive system comprising a wearable device which monitors a user's movements for Qualifying Movements and the user's core muscles for contraction of the core. When a Qualifying Movement is identified, based on the status of the user's core before, during, and after the Qualifying Movement, the system may determine whether or not the Qualifying Movement is protected or not protected. If the user's core is contracted adequately during the movement, the Qualifying Movement may be determined to be protected. If the core is not contracted adequately during the Qualifying Movement, the movement may be determined to be not protected. Based upon the result of the determination of the movement being protected or not protected, the system may signal to the user in order to aid the user in developing procedural memory to utilize their core to protect their lumbar spine and lumbosacral junction during such Qualifying Movements.
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/027,409 and 62/019,522 includes the description of an inventive teaching approach for users to develop said procedural memory for core support while performing every day movements. In addition, a comprehensive approach for algorithm development and implementation for identifying Qualifying Movements in every day movements which operate on the outputs of sensors contained in a wearable device is described.
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/025,929 includes the description of: a. Companion device that may be attached to different attachment mechanisms or attachment devices such as a wrist strap; and b. Extension of the comprehensive approach for algorithm development and implementation for Qualifying Movement Identification described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62/019,522 to systems employing the wearable device described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/132,808 and embodiments of the companion device.
The role of the core muscles for stabilizing the region of the lumbosacral junction during certain movements is widely encouraged by a number of disciplines including physical therapy, occupational therapy, personal training, strength training, fitness training, crossfit, yoga, pilates, and tai-chi. The stabilizing role of the core muscles has also been identified to be critical in athletics to add strength and power.
In some physical therapy practices and/or sessions, therapists may have their clients perform exercises as part of the rehabilitation process. Sometimes, these exercises are performed on the same or similar exercise machines often found in exercise and gym facilities. When rehabilitating back pain, one of the procedures physical therapists may have their clients perform is to contract their core muscles during the exertion portions of exercises. There are at least two advantages to utilizing the core during exercise movements. First, the lumbosacral junction and lumbar spine is supported during the exercises. This may limit the possibility of any or further injury while strengthening the muscles being exercised. And second, the client may practice utilizing their core during movements where their muscles are lightly, moderately, to heavily loaded and develop procedural memory to utilize their core muscles in similar movements, and particularly Qualifying Movements. Many physical therapists encourage their clients to contract their core prior to and during movements including movements such as sit-to-stand (sitting down from a standing position) and stand-to-sit (standing up from a sitting position). Many of the teaching practices used by physical therapists as just described may also be used by other disciplines including occupational therapist, physiatrists, chiropractors, and personal, fitness, and strength trainers.
Emphasizing and monitoring core contractions during exercise requires a highly interactive session between a therapist and a client in order to continually remind the client and monitor the client to contract their core muscles before and during movements. Due to practical difficulties such as placing a hand on the client's core in the abdomen region while the client is moving, such monitoring is seldom done due to the inconveniences. So while the objective of monitoring the core muscles during gym exercises and providing feedback to the client, particularly when they fail to utilize their core muscles during exercise movements is desirable, it generally is not done, in part, due to the lack of availability of effective and convenient tools, devices, or systems.
A summary of desirable elements and features in a tool, device, or system for teaching and learning to use the core muscles to support the lumbosacral junction and lumbar spine during movements may include:
A. Relatively low cost tool or tools in the form of a device and system to help a therapist train a client how to contract their core muscles and to know when the core is contracted;
B. Said device and system with the ability to differentiate between a contraction and an inward movement of the abdominal muscles vs. a neutral or outward movement of the abdominal muscles on contraction in order to teach a therapist's preference of abdominal hollowing vs. bracing;
C. Said device and system that allows identification of core muscles contracting while a client performs gym exercises during a therapy session;
D. Said device and system that can be used during the therapy session and used outside the therapy session to encourage usage of the core muscles during movement while performing every day movements and activities;
E. Said device and system that allows a client to practice core contraction with every day movements from their home or outside of the therapist's office in order to develop procedural memory for core usage during movements;
F. Said device and system that allows a client to track their movements to identify Qualifying Movements, as well as track their core muscles and provide feedback to notify the client (or user) of protected or unprotected qualifying movements in order to develop procedural memory for core usage during movements; By having such a device and system, the continual practice may help a user more quickly develop the new habit of using their core before and during movements;
G. Said device and system to maintain a quantitative score to encourage and track usage of the core muscles during Qualifying Movements.
Elements of the inventive devices and systems described in aforementioned patent and provisional patent applications contain the desirable elements and features listed above. In this disclosure, a more complete and systematic description of some of the features of the inventive devices and systems are presented. More detail is provided on how the In-Session and Out-of-Session models may be utilized and supported, both by the therapist and the client. Furthermore, additional inventive steps and features such as methods to fit the wearable device to a user along with descriptions of related apps running on a smart phone or smart device are described.
Throughout this disclosure, a standard ubiquitous communication protocol such as Bluetooth is assumed. More specifically, Bluetooth Low-Energy or BLE may be utilized. Appropriate procedures for pairing devices, for example the wearable device to a smart phone or smart device, or the companion device to the wearable device is assumed. Other communication protocols may be similarly utilized.